The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post by Allison Pataki

I like the Lithuanian cover!

G👀dreads

Mrs. Post, the President and First Lady are here to see you. . . .

So begins another average evening for Marjorie Merriweather Post. Presidents have come and gone, but she has hosted them all. Growing up in the modest farmlands of Battle Creek, Michigan, Marjorie was inspired by a few simple rules: always think for yourself, never take success for granted, and work hard—even when deemed American royalty, even while covered in imperial diamonds. Marjorie had an insatiable drive to live and love and to give more than she got. From crawling through Moscow warehouses to rescue the Tsar's treasures to outrunning the Nazis in London, from serving the homeless of the Great Depression to entertaining Roosevelts, Kennedys, and Hollywood's biggest stars, Marjorie Merriweather Post lived an epic life few could imagine.

Marjorie's journey began gluing cereal boxes in her father's barn as a young girl. No one could have predicted that C. W. Post's Cereal Company would grow into the General Foods empire and reshape the American way of life, with Marjorie as its heiress and leading lady. Not content to stay in her prescribed roles of high-society wife, mother, and hostess, Marjorie dared to demand more, making history in the process. Before turning thirty she amassed millions, becoming the wealthiest woman in the United States. But it was her life-force, advocacy, passion, and adventurous spirit that led to her stunning legacy.

And yet Marjorie's story, though full of beauty and grandeur, set in the palatial homes she built such as Mar-a-Lago, was equally marked by challenge and tumult. A wife four times over, Marjorie sought her happily-ever-after with the blue-blooded party boy who could not outrun his demons, the charismatic financier whose charm turned to betrayal, the international diplomat with a dark side, and the bon vivant whose shocking secrets would shake Marjorie and all of society. Marjorie did everything on a grand scale, especially when it came to love.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Biographical Fiction

The Why/How: This one was suggested in the HF group on FB. It's been on my TBR for a while and was just suggested again so I decided that was a sign that I should pick it next! 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

🎉 Overall Enjoyment? 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

🎣 Did it grab and keep my attention? 🎣🎣🎣🎣🎣

🗣️Would I recommend it to anyone? Yes ➕

🕮 Would I want a sequel? No ➖ Not necessary since it went through to her end of life, however if she wrote a book about Marjorie's three daughters I would definitely tune in. See below under Extra-Extra Tidbits. 

📚 Would I want to read more books by this author?  Yes ➕ This was my second by Allison Pataki and I enjoyed them both. The first was The Accidental Empress, review is >> here. Also a five star review from me. 

💣💥 📢 Triᵷᵷer Warnings? Google says DɇaṪh, Em0Ṫional AbÛsɇ, MiŞoǥyny, T0xic RɇlaṪi0nships. I say meh, normal unless you are ultra sensitive. 

🌶 Spice? No

🌪 Plot Twist? No

👟 Pace? Good

💻 Tidbits ~ Excellent. No doubt about it, her life WAS magnificent. This books takes you from her early childhood, through business development and leadership, estate building, four husbands, global events, motherhood, and using her wealth to help others. She always presented as charming and dignified. Yes, she was a bit of a goody-two-shoes! 

Her father founded Post Cereal because he wanted to make mornings easier for mothers so they could spend more time with their children. He called it Grape Nuts because they were small like grape seeds and had a nutty flavor. Thank you Allison Pataki for that one. I've always said Grape Nuts has no grapes and no nuts. Now it makes sense!

Her Father was instrumental in developing her work ethics. He taught her that money should be used to help others thereby fueling her passion for philanthropy. She definitely enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle and threw lavish parties for high society. Her party invites were much anticipated by the who's who.
She gave back with gusto. She opened soup kitchens during the depression and funded hospitals during the war. She donated her estate to the public later in life. 

Unfortunately she inherited her father's unlucky-in-marriage gene. She was married four times. Money can buy a lot of things, but it could not buy the commitment to love she craved and tried hard to nourish. 
Side note: Not in the book, she passed the unlucky-in-marriage gene down to all three of her daughters. 

🎧Barrie Kreinik 👍Excellent

🎧15.0 hours 🕮 400 pages

Extra Tidbit

They say she was a connoisseur of all jewelry! 

*Oh*The*Pearls*

She died in 1973 at the age of 86 after a a series of strokes. At the time she was one of the wealthiest women in the world. 

Extra-Extra (per Google AI)

She built Mar-a-Lago in 1924-1927. She called it Mar-a-Lago because it stretches across the entire width of the Palm Beach barrier island. The name is derived from Spanish and translates to "Sea-to-Lake".
Upon her death it was willed to the U.S. government to be used as a retreat for presidents and visiting dignitaries. The government returned it to the Post Foundation in 1983 due to high maintenance cost and security concerns.
In 1985 it was purchased by DT and converted from a private residence to the club it is today. 

Extra-Extra Tidbits

Her three daughters and why I think they would be a good spin off book.

Adelaide - Deep involvement in the equestrian world. Married three times. Had a daughter that was murdered. At 46 she was found stabbed to death in her home in Honduras.

Eleanor - Socialite and art collector, spent much of her time in Europe. Married six times.

Nedenia (Dina Merrill) - Actress and businesswoman. Married three times.